Beauty & Fashion Kuel Thought Leader: Gail Scott
“What is the best foundation?” In my 30 years of helping women to look their best, this is one of the most asked questions I hear.
Studies have shown that most women are not even wearing the correct shade, and now we have more formulas than ever to choose from, and more tools to use for application.
So, are you wearing the right foundation? Let’s take a look at how you find the right foundation.
5 Steps To Help You Find Your Perfect Foundation:
1. What’s Your Skin Type?:
You might answer dry, normal, combination, or oily. Before you answer, be sure you are assessing your skin type today, not a few years ago, and that you are assessing it for this season. One question I ask is
“if you wash your face and do nothing else, in a few hours, will it feel and appear drier, the same, or oilier?”Â
- Dry skin will get drier as the day goes on and may feel like it absorbs products.
- Normal skin will remain mostly the same during the day, possibly with a light shine in the T zone.
- Combination skin will develop a shine in the t-zone, but other areas will remain normal to dry.
- Oily skin will get oilier all over as the day goes on.
“Your skin type is the #1 factor to consider in choosing your foundation formula.“
Your skin may fluctuate between types as it is exposed to warm or cold weather or humidity, with diet, and as you experience stress or activity. It is likely to become drier as you undergo hormonal changes associated with aging. Your skin type is the #1 factor to consider in choosing your foundation formula.
2. Level Of Coverage:
The second thing to consider is the level of coverage that you want or need. In midlife, we may be seeing the visible signs of past sun damage, or even experiencing pimples related to hormones. Many of us will also develop rosacea which brings redness and sensitivity to our skin.
Do you want to cover those things up?
- Cream Foundation:
This is the heaviest formulation and provides the most coverage, but may also settle into deep lines. It should only be used for dry or normal skin types.
- Liquid Foundation:
This can be full to medium coverage and is a long-standing favorite formula. Oil-free formulas tend to be more lightweight but can be layered to achieve full coverage. Liquids are available for all skin types. Choose a luminous or dewy finish for dryer skin, a satin for normal to combination skin, and a matte finish for oilier skin.
“Liquids are available for all skin types.”
- Serums, Tints, Mousses, BB Creams and CC Creams:
These are lighter in weight and coverage and usually allow your imperfections and coloring to peek through for a natural look. They can work for any skin type.
- Powder Foundations:
They are the lightest in weight and provide the most sheer coverage. They can magnify texture (wrinkles, pores), so proceed with caution here. These are best for combination and oily skin types and less mature skin. There are a few on the market specifically made for mature skin, but they do not provide the best finish for our skin.
3. Finding Your Shade:
After determining the best formula for our skin type and coverage needs, it’s time to select a color, and that can feel overwhelming. If you know your overall color type, this helps a lot in knowing where to start. Part of your color type will include temperature, warm or cool, and that should guide your foundation choice.
- Warm skin tones: Choose warm or neutral colors.
- Cool skin tones: Choose cool or neutral colors.
Each brand and formula has its own color naming system, but most will tell you whether a shade is Ivory, Beige, or Bronze, and whether it is warm, cool, or neutral. Knowing your depth and temperature will give you a place to start. From there, it’s try-on time!
4. Shade Matching:
For shade matching, you will want to try the color on your facial skin. Seek brands with sanitary sampling options, or retailers with good return policies. A stripe test is the most common way to try out a color.
- For Ivory and Beige skin tones stripe a line from mid-cheek down and across the jawline, so that you can see how it blends with your neck.
- For Bronze skin tones, stripe a line on the cheek, close to the nose.
“Our skin color changes from season to season and can change with age as well.”
After applying a stripe, tap it in, then wait. Let it dry, as many colors change as they dry. After a few minutes, check the color in natural light. You want a shade that seems to disappear on the skin. But there are exceptions. If you have a lot of secondary pigment (redness), you may want to go a shade deeper for better coverage and less bleed-through. When on the fence, go with a deeper shade, not a lighter one. Do not be quick to give it the final approval. Apply it as you normally would, complete your makeup, and wear it for a bit. See how it performs during a regular day before settling on an option.
After you find your shade and formula, don’t think that it is forever. Our skin color changes from season to season and can change with age as well. Check your color and formula often to make sure they are both still the best choice for you.
5. How To Apply:
The last consideration is how to apply your chosen foundation.
- Fingers are not the best option. They will leave you with a streaky and uneven application.
- Brushes will apply the most product if you place the foundation on the brush first. If you apply a few dots of product to the face, then use the brush to blend, you can get a more natural coverage. Brushes are great for adding more product in a specific area. Using brushes properly can take some expertise, but learning to use them is worth it. They can also be an investment, but good ones, well cared for, will last many years.
- Damp sponges make it easy to blend and spread product and they can thin out a thicker formula for less coverage. You can also use them to layer product for full coverage. I find sponges to be the easiest and most fool-proof application tool.
Experiment to find which gives you the look that you desire.
For more help, check out this video:
If you need in-depth makeup help, checkout Gail’s additional resources in her bio below.
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About the Author:
Gail is the Beauty & Fashion Editor for www.yourcolorstyle.com.
As a 28 year veteran in the beauty industry, she is passionate about helping women to look their best and to express themselves in their outward appearance. She is also co-host of the Midlife Moxie podcast, available on all major platforms. Find Gail on IG: @gailsscott
 Email Gail at Accessories to schedule a FREE 15-minute phone call to see how she can help you with your look.
